With the shortage of LPG Chef Prashanth Puttaswamy, Chef & Partner, Benki Hospitality shares his thoughts and a recipe.
How does one cook without using gas? – please share alternative options and their pros and cons.
There are multiple options for cooking without gas. There are few options to cook with electricity like induction burners and ovens. Also the more traditional ones like charcoal grill, wood fried grill or wood fried stoves. Food tastes better when cooked on open fire on charcoal and wood fired grill. The smokiness from the wood and charcoal add flavours and gives a nice caramelisation to the food. It cooks faster than on gas stoves. The only cons being that it’s difficult to control the heat while cooking unlike gas stoves which is easy to control with knob.
Can no-gas solutions realistically handle the complexity of thai/Vietnamese cooking, from tempering spices to slow simmering?
Yes definitely. Lots of the dressings and marinations are pounded in motor and pestle. Traditionally they use a charcoal burner to cook in the wok. Also lots of meats and vegetables are grilled on wood fire too. We have a in-built wok setup with wood in the kitchen
What misconceptions do people have about cooking without gas, and how are those perceptions changing?
It’s just that people find it difficult to cook over other means because it’s not easy to set it up in the modern kitchens at home or apartments. But it’s slowly changing with some good portable grill’s in the market. Also, they prefer the other most convenient setups of cooking, being induction tops.
Read the full story that first appeared in Seema Magazine here:
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